THIS MACHINE MOCKS FASCISTS

All This Talk of Dancing —

What amazes me about this song is that it has spawned a number of genuinelyawfulcoverversions, which either bury the tune in overwrought goth metal, or try to make a song about nuclear annihilation sound like a fun time at a rave. Kids these days! No respect, yo.

Thanks for posting this. You’ve managed to boot “The Politics of Dancing” from the loop its been running in my head the past couple days. (Which was only in there to begin with because, well, look what’s been on Whatever this week.)

I’m about the same age, and I remember the song, but I’d never seen the video. I had no idea that it was really about nuclear annihilation, but now that I think about it, in the ’80s how could it have been about anything else?

I dunno, I can’t help watching that video and thinking that these people must be either suicidal or idiots, because a nuclear explosion that doesn’t do any more than blow out a few windows is eminently survivable. They didn’t even *try*! I would have taken the whole video more seriously if the aftermath had shown the house knocked down and set on fire, or its location replaced by a smoking lava-filled crater, you know?

Anyway, I’m with Jim (#6) here, without the video I would have had no idea the song had anything at all to do with nuclear annihilation.

I totally owned this Ultravox album. On vinyl. Wonder what happened to it? It’s strange to think I’m facing “it’s the possible end of the world” again. Nuclear annihilation vs. economic annihilation. At least this time ’round we have a shot at saving the planet by using fewer resources up.

# tceiseleon 17 Oct 2008 at 12:25 pm
“I dunno, I can’t help watching that video and thinking that these people must be either suicidal or idiots, because a nuclear explosion that doesn’t do any more than blow out a few windows is eminently survivable. They didn’t even *try*! I would have taken the whole video more seriously if the aftermath had shown the house knocked down and set on fire, or its location replaced by a smoking lava-filled crater, you know?”

This is called ‘symbolism’, in many forms of art. It’s very artistic, and appreciated by sensitive people.

It’s also called ‘this is a very low budget 1980’s music video, without 21st century CGI’. If one is cynical.

I also love 99 Luftballoons (mentioned above) in the original German. (My german teachers showed it to us on the order of once a year.) And Forever Young. Yeah, I guess we kids of the 80s had a lot of nuclear war songs.

That’s one of my favorite bands from the time. “Reap the Wild Wind” is okay, but this song is better and “Vienna” better still. I still throw “The Thin Wall” or “Visions in Blue” onto mix CDs for the car, too.

I loved the guitar work. There was a ton of great guitar around in the early 80’s — Iron Maiden’s first album was released in the same year as Vienna (1980), Rush was getting airtime with “Spirit of Radio”, Triumph released Allied Forces in 1981, Yngwie Malmsteen was a rising force (heh) in Alcatrazz, Metallica’s first album was 1983 — but you didn’t expect great guitar work from a synth-pop band. Nor tough vocals, either, and Midge Ure has an amazing voice. I didn’t mind The Human League, and will confess to owning the album, but they’re just not in the same… well, you know.

That’s actually the first song you’ve ever posted that I really, really like. Well, you know, except for the Journey. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a cover version of that song, and I didn’t click on any of those links, because, well, why ruin a good thing? Eh?

??
Did that LP player with auto-closer and vertical mount actually exist. I guess you could lock down a record if you had some sort of grooved or threaded spindle but I have never seen anything like that.

??
Did that LP player with auto-closer and vertical mount actually exist. I guess you could lock down a record if you had some sort of grooved or threaded spindle but I have never seen anything like that.

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